Front spring for an automobile



July 31, 1934.

F. B. BELL 1-: AL 1,968,631

FRONT SPRING FOR'A-N AUTOMOBILE ori in-a1 Filed Oct. 18, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 July- 31, 1934. F. B; BELL ET AL FRONT SPRING FOR ANAUTOMOBILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 1a, 1950 fizz/entails593M 4 Man KWZ @a dww.

Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STA 1,968,631 mos-r seams roe ANAUTOMOBILE Frank a. mu and Dennis Lliubbard, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignorsto Edgewater Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Original application October 18, 1930, Serial No.-

489,547. Divided and this application May 9, 1932, Serial No. 610,017 74 Claims. (Cl. 267-20) This invention relates in general to springassemblies and shock absorbing devices and while it will be hereinafterdescribed as embodied in a spring assembly installed at the front end ofI an automobile, it will be apparent that it has other valuableapplication. This application is a division of my pending applicationfor United States Letters Patent Ser. No. 489,547 flled October 18, 1930for Front spring for an automobile.

10 The principal object of the present invention is the provision of aspring assembly for automobiles and other vehicles adapted to absorb anddissipate in friction the major portion of both minor vibrations andshocks and the more severe impacts and jars of service.

' A further important object of the invention is the provision of aspring assembly of the character described which may be installed at thefront of the chassis of an automobile to cushion the vibration and jarsreceived by the front wheels.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic elevation showing spring assemblies embodying mypresent invention installed at the front end of an automobile;

- and Fig. 2 is a transverse enlarged vertical section through one ofthe spring assemblies shown in Fig. 1.

36 For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, there is shownon the drawings two spring assemblies generally indicated at 11 andarranged at opposite sides of a chassis part or -axle 12. Referencecharacters 13 indicate the two front wheels of the vehicle and thesewheelsare connected to the chassis frame part 12 by upper links orconnectors 14 pivoted respectively at 15 to king pin carrying members16, and at 17 toa bracket 18 in turn fixed, and by lower links orconnectorsv 19 which are similarly connected at 21 and 22 to the members16 and 18.

Each spring assembly 11 comprises an outer spring housing 23 secured inany suitable manner as by a channel 24 to the frame part "12.

Each housing 23 is provided at its top withan opening 25 through which arod or stem 26 of a plunger 27'is arranged. The plunger 27 at its lowerend is provided with a bore 28 threaded at 29 for engagement with acoupling or member 31 .55 pivotally connected at 32 to the upper link orconnector 14. The plunger or piston 27 consists or may consist of aflange 33 integral with the rod 26 and a packing 34 held in place by adisc 35 and in engagement with the inner surface of. the housing 23.

In the present embodiment of the invention a coil or nonfriction spring36 and a ring or friction-spring 37 are arranged in parallel and forconjoint action. A followersleeve 38, having an outwardly extendingflange 39, embraces the rod 26 and engages the springs 36 and 37. Asecond ring or friction spring 41 is arranged between the flange 39 andthe upper end of the housing.

The ring springs 37 and 41 are preferably of the construction shown,described and claimed in United States Letters Patent to Ernest KreissigNo. 1,515,456, and particular description of them is not believednecessary. It may be mentioned, however, that they consist generally ofalternately arranged outer and inner solid ring members having thetapered or bevelled interengaging faces shown, spring action beingaccomplished by the stretching and compression of the metal forming theindividual rings. Spring 37 is relatively weaker than the spring 41 andthis spring with the-non-friction coil spring 36 absorbs and cushionsthe minor vibrations and shocks of the 7 vehicle when travellingoverrelatively smooth roads and pavements, the heavier jars and impactsbeing absorbed by friction ring spring 41.

The upper end of the rod 26 is engaged by a nut 42 and a coil spring 43is preferably. arranged between this nut and the upper end of thehousing. A cap 44 is or may be provided to enclose the upper end oftherod 26 and the spring 43.

The spring assembly is secured, as has been described, to the chassisand is connected to the upper link connectors. No special constructionof the chassis or of the link connectors is required.

Further, it will be apparent that thus arranged power mechanism may bearranged from the chassis to the front wheels, and that the usualsteering mechanism 45 may be employed.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswillbe understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In a spring assembly, the combination of a casing having an abutmentat one end thereof, a V

plunger extending through said casing and also having an abutment at oneend thereof, a relatively light friction ring spring encircling saidplunger for frictional engagement therewith and having one end thereofdisposed in seating engagement with the-abutment on said plunger, afollower mounted on said plunger and disposed in seating engagement withthe other end of said relatively light friction ring spring, and arelatively heavy friction ring spring disposed in seating engagementwith the opposite side of said follower and with the abutment of saidcasing-for frictional engagement with the inner walls of said casing,said light ring spring being adapted to be compressed under minor shocksand vibrations transmitted through said plunger into frictionalengagement with said plunger and under major shocks and vibrations to adegree where the rings thereof abut one another to provide a rigidcolumn for transmitting the force of said heavy shocks in a rectilineardirection through said follower to said heavy friction ring spring tocause the same to frictionally engage said sleeve and absorb said heavyshocks.

2. In a spring assembly,- the combination of a casing having an abutmentat one end thereof, a plunger extending through said casing and alsohaving an abutment at one end thereof, a relatively light friction ringspring encircling said plunger for frictional engagement therewith andhaving one end thereof disposed in seating engagement with the abutmenton said plunger, a follower mounted on said plunger and disposed inseating engagement with the other end of said relatively light frictionring spring, and a relatively heavy friction ring spring disposed inseating engagement with the opposite side of said follower and with theabutment of said casing for frictional engagement with the inner wallsof said casing, said light ring spring being adapted to be compressedunder minor shocks and vibra 'tions transmitted through said plungerinto frictional engagement with said plunger and under major shocks andvibrations to a degree where the rings thereofabut one another toprovide a rigid column for transmitting the force of said heavy shocksin a rectilinear direction through said follower to said heavy frictionring spring to cause the same to frictionally engage said sleeve andabsorb said heavy shocks, and means for absorbing the recoil of saidparts.

3. In a spring assembly, the combination of a casing having a shoulderat one end thereof, a

plunger extending through said casing and also having a shoulder at oneend thereof, a relatively .light friction ring spring encircling saidplunger for frictional engagement therewith and having one end thereofdisposed in seating engagement with the shoulder on said plunger, arelativeh! light coil spring arranged concentrically with respeot tosaid light ring spring and having one end thereof disposed in seatingengagement with the shoulder on said plunger, a follower mounted on saidplunger and disposed in seating engagement with the other end of saidrelatively light friction ring spring and also in seating engagementwith said relatively light coil spring, and a relatively heavy frictionring spring disposed in seating engagement with the opposite side ofsaid follower and with the shoulder of said casing for frictionalengagement with the walls of said casing, said light ring spring beingadapted to be compressed under heavy shocks transmitted through saidplunger to a degree where the rings thereof abut one another and resistfurther compression, thus protecting said light coil spring fromexcessive compression and providing a rigid column for transmitting theforce of said heavy shocks in a rectilinear direction through saidfollower to said heavy friction ring spring to be absorbed thereby.

4. In a spring assembly, the combination of a casing having a shoulderat one end thereof, a plunger extending through said casing and alsohaving a shoulder at one end thereof, a relatively light friction ringspring encircling said plunger for frictional engagement therewith andhaving one end thereof disposed in seating engagement with the shoulderon said plunger, a relatively light coil spring arranged concentricallywith respect to said light ring spring and having one end thereofdisposed in seating engagement with the shoulder on said plunger, asleeve mounted on said plunger and having a shoulder at one end thereofdisposed in engagement with the other end of said relatively lightfriction ring spring and a-shoulder at the other end thereof for seatingengagement with said relatively light coil spring, a relatively heavyfriction ring spring disposed in seating engagement with the oppositeside of one of the shoulders of said sleeve and with the shoulder ofsaid casingfor frictional engagement with the walls of said casing, saidlight ring spring being adapted to be compressed under heavy shockstransmitted through said plunger to a degree where the rings thereofabut one another and resist further compression, thus protecting saidlight.

coil spring from excessive compression and providing a rigid column fortransmitting the force of said heavy shocks in a rectilinear directionthrough said sleeve to said heavy friction ring spring to be absorbedthereby, and means for absorbing the recoil of said parts.

FRANK B. BELL.

DENNIS L. HUBBARD.

